Teeth Cleaning Cost

How Much Does Teeth Cleaning Cost?

The main goal of professional teeth cleaning is to prevent gum disease, which is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults over age 40.

Typical costs:

A standard teeth cleaning by a dental hygienist can cost $75-$200, depending on the dentist's office and local rates. CostHelper readers report paying $80-$175, or an average cost of $127 for just a routine cleaning.

Frequently a teeth cleaning appointment will also include dental X-rays and an exam by the dentist. The total cost for an appointment with these additional services can be $100-$300 or more, depending on local rates and the number and type of X-rays. For example, CostHelper readers report paying $114-$320 for a complete teeth cleaning appointment, with an average cost of $198.

Dental insurance typically covers 100% of the cost of a teeth cleaning once or twice a year as necessary preventive care, but not more often -- and some plans may have a maximum amount they will pay for a cleaning, which can be less than what the dentist charges. CostHelper readers with dental insurance report that their total cost was covered for cleanings once or twice a year, but not more frequently.

The more extensive deep cleaning process called scaling and root planing is typically done by quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left). Costs start at about $100-$450 for a single quadrant, but it can run $500-$4,000 or more for a full-mouth deep cleaning, depending on the amount of work needed -- how deeply they have to clean; if antibiotic injections are used to speed healing in a particularly deep pocket around an individual tooth ($35-$85 per injection/tooth); or for patients who have gone a long time between dental treatments , cutting away excess buildup so the gums are visible and can be evaluated and cleaned ($75-$150, called full-mouth debridement). CostHelper readers without dental insurance report paying $390-$3,800 for deep cleaning, for an average cost of $1,257.

Dental insurance typically covers some of the cost of deep cleaning procedures, depending on the terms of the policy or plan. CostHelper readers with dental insurance coverage for deep cleaning report paying $360-$437 out of pocket, with an average cost of $377.

Teeth cleaning appointments for new patients typically also include an exam and X-rays, and periodically (perhaps once a year) include these services for returning patients. If a patient shows signs of early gum disease, the dentist may recommend teeth cleanings be done three or four times a year, instead of once or twice; the extra appointments generally won't be covered by insurance.

In a standard cleaning, a dental hygienist (working under a dentist's supervision) removes soft plaque and hard tartar (mineralized plaque that builds up on the teeth and can only be removed with professional instruments) from above and below the gum line on all the teeth. The process usually takes about 30-60 minutes. A dental assistant explains what to expect[1] during a teeth cleaning.

Scaling and root planing is a deep-cleaning, non-surgical procedure generally done when the depths of the pockets around the teeth are deeper than 3 millimeters. Plaque and tartar above and below the gum line are scraped away (scaling) and rough spots on the root are smoothed (planing) to remove bacteria and give a clean surface for the gums to reattach to the teeth. This is done using a local anesthetic and generally requires two to four office visits, each lasting 45 minutes to an hour. The American Dental Association gives an overview of scaling and root planing[2] .

The National Institutes of Health provides an overview of gum disease prevention[3] .

Discounts:

Some dentists offer discount coupons for new patients for a cleaning, exam and X-rays for $40-$90. Always check an unfamiliar dentist with the American Dental Association[4] , and the Better Business Bureau[5] . Some CostHelper readers report feeling pressured to pay for additional services when using a coupon for a low-cost teeth cleaning.

Dental schools typically have a clinic offering discounted rates for services by supervised students or faculty. The American Student Dental Association[6] maintains a list of dental schools. CostHelper readers report paying $15-$50 for a standard teeth cleaning, exam and X-rays at a dental hygienist school (with some noting that their appointment took four hours).

If the patient has dental insurance, the insurance company will provide a list of approved dentists. Or, get referrals to local dentists from the American Dental Association[8] or the Amcerican Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry[9] .

Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.

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THIS EXAM DID NOT INCLUDE X-RAYS! INS PAID $109.00. I HAD TO PAY $78.OO OUT OF POCKET. FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $187.00. I FEEL LIKE THE COST OUT OF POCKET WAS CRAZY! THIS WAS HER SECOND CLEANING. THE FIRST CLEANING WAS A DIFFERENT DENTAL (PED) OFFICE MUCH NICER AND I HAD NO OUT OF POCKET EXPENCE.MY CHILD HAS NO CAVITIES. I FEEL LIKE THIS NEW DENTIST TOOK ME FOR A RIDE!

I have CarePlus Insurance in Florida. Pays forone cleaning and two cavities filled per year.also frontal X-rays.BUT: Had to have whole mouth x-rayed and it would cost $33. I paid it. Needed a cavity filled - causing me pain. Called to make an appointmentand she said: no, no, no, WE TOLD YOU WHEN YOU WERE HERE LAST TIME, YOU WOULD NEED A ROOT CANAL PLUS! I SAID I could not afford it. She then hung up. (I would have paid if she had offered a payment plan.) Seeking new dentist!

Thank you thank you I had no way to know but it looks like new dentist quoted me correctly your shared input and info is greatly appreciated when I am blind to the norm of this and looking to spend almost $1000 of insurance benefits and $200 out of pocket for 2 one hour appointments

Alot of the people on this thread are bashing the dental field unfairly. I can honestly say I am my patient's advocate. I never make up any condition that is not there. It is common sense if you do not go to the dentist regularly there will be more tartar for the hygienist to clean, more bone loss (higher pocket measurements), and more blood. So your teeth takes longer to clean.The prices on most of these threads are normal fees. Think about it if a office charges $200 a quad. They have to pay the hygienist $53 out of that. Pay for supplies like anesthetic to numb your mouth, bibs, polish brush, bib, take home bags (that normally have toothbrushes, floss,and sometimes mouthwash in it),equipment, water and electricity. A dental chair costs 10,000. The instrument to polish your teeth costs $500-700. The instruments they use to clean your teeth costs $400 for the set. The insert to clean the patients that need quad scaling(not the whole machine just the insert)costs $230.

A lot of these comments where the patient is complaining is because they do not fully understand the reasoning of their procedure. Radiographs (xrays) are needed on a new patient to completely diagnose a patient. A dentist can not see bone levels or cavities simply by looking in the mouth. The x-rays are a part of a complete exam. If a dentist treats you without x-rays, I would not trust that dentist. It is called negligence on the part of a dentist to treat patients without having ALL information.Quadrant scaling are normally $200-250 per quad because of the amount of time it takes and the amount of work it takes. You also have to administer anesthetic. Normally you need multiple appointments to complete the entire mouth. Quadrant scaling is extensive because normally its for people who do not take care of their teeth regularly and who do not come to the dentist twice a year.

Self pay.Told them money was a big issue. I trusted them when they said I really needed it. It took all of 20 minutes. Then I got the final checked by the Dentist who gives me a big sales pitch about how great I could look after Invisaline braces. I HAD BRACES My whole childhood- my teeth Are straight!!! Was he even looking??? Then He gave me the hard sell on a OralB Brush they sold.

I have good dental Insurance I pay for monthly. At the dentist my first appointment was for full x-rays when leaving I was charged 58.80 co pay fee, my second appoitment was for teeth cleaning, when leaving I was charged 83.70 co pay fee. When I got home I called my Insurance plan to find out what my contracted fees were to the dennist, my co pay fee out of pocket x-rays 19.80 and cleaning was 24.90 so I called the dentist office they owe me a refund total 97.80 Bottom line is when you leave the dennist office after you pay the office fees and leave call your your dental plan and verify what the fees are you were suposed to pay, so you dont't get ripped off.

I go to a dental school to get my teeth done by students under supervision. you have to sit in the chair for about 3 hrs. but you can't beat the price. It usually takes 3to4 visits to complete the job but they do a very good job on your teeth. They will also take x-rays and all this for $20 or $5 if you are a senior.

I went in to get a tooth pulled and was asked if i wanted a teeth cleaning while i was here. They said the insurance would cover it no worries. I said sure and how much well they immediately took me in and cleaned my teeth in about 25 minutes. Then they pulled my tooth. Pulling the tooth took longer and pain killers and the dentist and a assistant. Here is where it makes no sense. 110 dollars to pull the tooth no problem, money earned. Now hold on for this, 954 dollars to clean my teeth in 25 minutes good lord this is flat stealing.That's over 1800 dollars an hour no way this is right and should be illegal. Plus not telling me how much first. Get this I asked and they are on my plan so the dentist ought to know what the ins.company should pay. They will not commit to a price only estimates Imagine if every were did business like this what a bunch of crooks. Go buy a car your groceries or your utility and let them tell you its just an estimate wait and see what the real cost is

I went for a regular cleaning at a dentist in Quakertown, PA. They told me that I would need would need full X-rays before they could do the cleaning. My wife and I do not have insurance often prefer to not have X-rays. I told the dentist I would like to waive the X-rays and would sign a document in that regard. They refused to clean my teeth! Is the consumer laws of PA the problem here? Laws which cause people who can not afford the high price of X-rays and oral exam to not have their teeth clean only. Or is the dental association trying to get the last buck out of the retired and working poor? What legal steps can I take to buy only the services I want?

I asked the dentist for clearance to have bone marrow transplant. He would not sign unless I agreed to "deep cleaning". This procedure was no more extensive than the other cleanings I have had and only took 25 min for all four quadrants. Pricing my quadrants is rip off. This place wanted to do each quadrant in a different appointment that would have delayed my cancer procedure. Finally agreed to do it all and took 25 min. Hygenist commented after she was done that there was not as much plaque as she first diagnosed.

The new perio doctor that did my deep cleaning spent 25min and the last time i had this done it took almost a hour well so much for going to the same office ive been going to for the last 20 years , all he did was look at the clock and the buzzer that tells him that his next paitent is here. did this on 4/10/13 im going back tomarrow and find out what the rush was all about.

I want to confirm what another posting observed on 2/21/12. My dental plan with HumanaOne includes to free cleanings and I paid $146 for the year, but I have been to four different dental offices looking for a regular cleaning and the dentists refuse to provide a regular cleaning. It is unbelievable. Instead they want you to have deep cleanings with the additional cost, hundreds of dollars more.

I have had deep cleaning in the past and it never cost this much. Americans are greedy a** holes who think money is everything. Sure do hope she enjoys her new caddy that I paid for. I guess the only people who should live on the earth are the special people who love only money and won't do a thing without gobs of it coming out of their ears.

I just took all four of my kids to the dentist for the first time since my husband found a job and we have insurance. Before that, we had medicaid. I was the stupid one who didn't inquire into what they were including in the exams; after all, medicaid patients don't think too much, right? The truth is, I was too affected by our whole situation to think straight. My husband a scientist out of work, how will they treat me in this office, etc. It was just a dark time. Anyway, I just got our first bill as "private insurance" patients, and am appalled to find that I paid $27 per child for a fluoride treatment, and out the ears for x-rays (kids just had them 6 mos. ago). I take the blame for not thinking to ask what would be included. Had I known, I would have refused fluoride and x-rays just to keep my costs low (I'm not sure which items the insurance will cover; I was told not x-rays). This isn't about fluoride; it's about a bill I can't afford to pay. Can anyone please graciously advise?

For all the dentists and their assistants out there we are not trying to insult you, we are trying to figure out a way to pay for keeping our teeth healthy with the right Dentist. First of all have you ever tried to shop around for a dentist? It costs more to go in for a second opinion and get an appointment, and in some cases depending on the insurance company as in our case, you need to let them know you are changing to another dentist. That has to be done at the first of the next month. $8000.00 for two dental implants seems ridiculous to me. And now the same periodontist wants to charge me $4000.00 for a deep cleaning, all four quadrants. That includes some surgery on the gums and "biologic materials" (bone, I think). And that price is with a 25% discount, what my insurance pays for a specialist (periodontist) Then of course you have to go back and forth between dentists because some general dentists do not perform some of the procedures a perio does and vice-versa. I know I have asked. So it might be just a little daunting for the average patron to swing this. We are now looking into calling a perio about 45 minutes from our home, but he came recommended from a friend of a friends dentist's husbands. So we'll see if we can get in. So any comments??

I just got a teeth cleaning for the first time in year, and although my insurance said they cover the cleanings, they would only cover 196. of the over $400 charges because they claimed they were too high. Not so great really.

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